1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device for producing tags on which patient identification information such as the patient name, patient identification number, and patient blood type is printed and which are inserted to the tag holding part of a patient wristband, to a system for producing such tags, and to a print medium used for printing such tags.
2. Description of Related Art
Patient wristbands (medical wristbands) that have a display part on which patient identification information is written and a band that is wrapped around the patient's wrist or ankle are used in hospitals, for example, to identify each patient and help prevent medical errors. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-137017.
When the patient identification information is written or printed directly on the patient wristband, the printed portion can be easily soiled or damaged, and if a printing error occurs the entire wristband is wasted. One way to prevent such problems is to use a transparent wristband with a tag storage unit (pocket) for holding the tag printed with the patient identification information so that the information is visible from outside the pocket. The printed tag is then inserted to this pocket and the pocket is then closed and sealed with the tag inside.
So that the outside end of the tag is not exposed from the insertion opening to the pocket, the tag must be inserted all the way into the pocket. However, the opening to the tag pocket is sized to match the tag, the opening is therefore tight and inserting the tag to the pocket can be difficult. As a result, some people are unable to insert the tag all the way into the pocket without using tweezers, for example.
The invention provides a device for producing tags that can be easily inserted all the way into the tag pocket of a patient wristband having a tag pocket, a system for producing tags for patient wristbands, and a print medium used to print the tags.